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Book. 7 1/3 76 135 
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CfiBflFHGHT DEPOSIT. 



Bill 

OF THE U. S. A. 

And Other War Verses 



By 

Kenneth Graham Duffield 



PHILADELPHIA 
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY 



Copyright, 1918, by Howard E. Altemus 





o& 


MAY 


-1 1918 


©GI.A494878 




<*& \ 






CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Bill 7 

Bill's Dad 10 

The Mother of Bill 13 

Backing Up Bill 16 

Up to Bill 21 

Christmas and Bill 24 

A Letter to Bill. 27 

Bill's Uncle 29 

A Prayer for Bill 31 

All Together 33 

Helping Bill 35 

Sewing for Bill 37 

A Star for Bill 40 

Over the Top 45 

The U-Boat 47 

For France 48 

Vengeance 51 

They Shall Not Pass 53 

The Barbarian 56 

The Comforter . . .. 58 

We'll Never Give In 60 



FOREWORD 

Somebody's boy has crossed th' sea, 
T' do th' fightin' fer yon and me. 
Let's call him "BUI" — he's any man's 

son 
That carries a pack an' shonlders a 

gun. 



BiU of the U. S. A. 



BILL 

There wan't much excitement 'round 

our way, 

'Bout th' war. 
We tuk th' papers an' read 'em 

through, 
When we hadn' nuthin' better t' do. 
We didn' know which side wuz right, 
An' didn' much care who won th* 

fight. 
So th' ole war run along until 
Th' President said he needed Bill, 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



Seems like th' Dutch wuz a-killin' our 

folks 

Out on th' sea, 
A-sinkin' our ships an' a-sendin' 'em 

down, 
An' lettin' th' wimmin an' children 

drown. 
Th' President writ 'em a note er two, 
A-tellin' 'em what they'd better do, 
But they kep' right on until 
Th' President says, "It's up t' Bill." 



So he sent out word t' count th' men 

Ez wuz fitten t' fight, 
An' Bill he put right off f er town, 
An' found a feller 'at writ it down 
'Bout where he wuz born — what town 

an' state. 
An' Bill he give 'im his age an' date: 
"Born up yonder an' livin' there still. 
Scratch out ' Exempt,' I'll fight," sez 

Bill. 

8 



BILL 



There wan't any fellers much 

straighter than Bill — 
Er better built. 
A hundred an' eighty an' five foot 

ten — 
TV mold God uses when makin' men. 
Bill's hair wuz black an' his eyes were 

blue — 
That wuz his Irish showin' through. 
An' th' captain sez, ez captains will, 
"Send me a million men like Bill." 



So Bill he's packed an' ready t' go, 

'Way over there. 
A-shoulderin' gun an' his soldier's 

kit- 
Able an' willin' t' do his "bit." 
Keady V see th' ole war through, 
An' do th' fightin' there is t' do. 
They've fought together, an' alius 

will — 
God an' th' U. S. A.— an' Bill. 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



BILL'S DAD 

Our last sight uv Bill wuz jest 'is back, 
Far off in th' distance, beneath 'is 

pack. 
Couldn' go t' th' train, his mother an' 

me, 
A-makin' it harder fer Bill, y' see. 
We stood on the sidewalk, an' watched 

'em go — 
Shoulder t' shoulder, an' row on row. 
Bill couldn' speak, but 'is head wuz 

high, 
He gave us a look, an' waved "Good- 
bye," 
An' I couldn' help feelin', ez fathers 

will, 
"Ef it only wuz me — instead uv 

Bill!" " 



10 



BILL'S DAD 



We didn' say much, at supper, that 

night, 
An' mother seemed older — more 

feeble an' white, 
She stuck it out somehow, ez Tbrave ez 

could be ; 
Never thought uv herself, but alius uv 

me. 



We seen in th papers 'at Bill'd 

reached France, 
An' off t' th' front, at th' very first 

chance, 
It told how th' Frenchmen thanked 

God, on their knees, 
When the Star Spangled Banner flew, 
out on th' breeze, 
Still I couldn' help feelin' ez fathers 

will, 
"Ef it only wuz me — instead uv 
Bill!" * 



11 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



An' so it ran on, with a word, now an' 

then, 
That told us uv Bill an' th' rest uv th' 

men. 
An' often at night, when th' supper 

wuz through, 
We'd read in th' Bible a chapter er 

two. 
Th' thing 'at hurt most, though, wuz 

Bill's empty chair, 
Drawn up t' th' table ez if he wuz 

there. 
We know he'll be back, when th' 

world is set free, 
An' we'll be together — Bill, mother 

an' me. 
But I alius keep prayin', ez fathers 

will, 
"Ferget about us God — an' look 

after Bill." 



12 



THE MOTHER OF BILL 



THE MOTHER OF BILL 

We found it wuz hard t' let Bill go 

Off V th' war. 
It's easy t' cheer th' other man's 

son — 
It comes kinda hard when there's only 

one. 
But Bill, he sez, " There's a job t' do; 
I'll shoulder a gun an' see it through." 
An' over in France, they f oiler 'im 

still, 
Th' love an' th' prayers uv th' Mother 

uv Bill. 



13 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



Th' day it wuz cruel, an* th' night wuz 

worse, 

A-waitin' fer Bill. 
But th' Doctor an' me, we seen it 

through, 
Him tellin' me what there wuz t' do. 
An' after a while it come t' me — 
We used t' be two, but now wuz three ; 
An' a little pink face, when all wuz 

still, 
Wuz snuggled up close t' th' Mother 

uv Bill. 



14 



THE MOTHER OF BILL 



Th' strongest thing in all Mother's 

life 

Wuz her love f er Bill. 
She'd plan an' plan what he'd be some 

day; 
' i Ain't nothin' too big fer Bill," she'd 

say. 
I know 'at th' angel, in robes uv white, 
'At gathers th' prayers we say at 

night, 
Takes t' God, first, an' alius will, 
Th' whispered prayers uv the Mother 

uv Bill. 



15 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



BACKING UP BILL 

There wan't many fellers went over 

th' sea, 

Along with Bill. 
Th' "Dutch," they laughed, ez they 

seen 'em come, 
With blare uv bugle an' tap uv drum,; 
They kinda f ergot, though th' men 

wuz few — 
They carried th' ole Red, White and 

Blue, 
An' where it waves there's follerin' 

still, 
Ten million men t' back up Bill. 



16 



BACKING UP BILL 



Th' President said, ez they sailed 

away, 

"Hold 'em, Bill!" 
Git out in front, where th' fightin's 

hot; 
Show 'em th' kind uv men we got. 
Th' food is coming, an' ships an' 

guns — 
You'll need 'em all t' beat th' Huns. 
I haven't f ergot — an' I never will — 
Th' promise I made t' back up Bill." 



17 

2— BUI of the V. S. A. 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



A hole in th' ground an' a place t' 

sleep 

Satisfies Bill. 
He needs th' bread an' enough t' eat. 
So use up th' corn — send HIM th' 

wheat. 
It's fish an' fowl fer me an' you, 
But good red meat fer th' fightin' 

crew. 
Cut out th' waste till we're "over th' 

hill." 
Everything counts while' we're backin 

Bill. 



18 



BACKING UP BILL 



Some folks fight an' others pay, 

A-helpin'Bill. 
Some give a million an' some a cent; 
It ain't what you give, but how it's 

meant. 
So give an' give an' give agen, 
Till th' country's clean uv money an' 

men. 
Give ez you can, uv your own free will, 
Stand by your country — an' back up 

Bill. 



19 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



Folks we're helpin' are fixin' t' quit, 
So th' papers say. 

Bill's been t' school an' he's almost 
through ; 

Th' lesson's learned, an' there's work 
t'do. 

He's in th' fight, an' he's in t' stay, 

Till th' " Dutch" are marchin' t' other 
way. 

They ain't won yet, an' they never 
will, 

'Cause th' HULL DERNED COUN- 
TRY'S backin' Bill. 



20 



UP TO BILL 



UP TO BILL 

There's ain't many fellers a-laughin' 

t'day 

'Bout th' war. 
A-sayin' they know it's bona' t' be 

through, 
'Fore Bill an' th' rest learn what t' 

do. 
Things don't ran on ez smooth ez they 

did, 
Mistakes are made an' have V be hid. 
An' I can't help thinkin' an' wond'rin' 

still 
If the Allies don't figger — "It's up t' 

Bill." 



21 



BILL QE THE U. S. A. 



Bill's big an' strong, an' he'll play th' 

game 

'Way over th' sea. 
He's heard th' stories th' blind men 

teU 
Uv liquid fire, like a burnin' hell. 
He swore an oath an' he breathed a 

prayer : 
"God help th' 'Dutch,' if they don't 

play fair. ' ' 
An' th' sightless eyes will remind him 

still 
Th' payment is due — an' it's up t' 

Bill. 



22 



UP TO BILL 



It's goin' t' be bitter an' hard an* 

cruel 

Afore we're done. 
An' the fightin' man, an' his fightin' 

crew, 
Will have a-plenty uv work t' do. 
Soldiers an' sailors an' those 'at fly 
Have shed their blood an' had t' die. 
They gave all they had, ez brave men 

will — 
They fought a good fight — now it's up 

t' Bill. 

Th' days will be long when there ain't 

no news 

A-tellin'uvBill. 
We know 'at he'll stick, through thick 

an' thin. 
We're backin' him up, an' he's bound 

t' win. 
An' th' great big heart uv the U. S. A., 
A-growin' tend'rer day by day, 
Is holdin' him close, an' ever will, 
'Cause her whole existence is up 

V Bill, 

23 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



CHRISTMAS— AND BILL 

It don't seem more'n a year er two, 

Since Bill wuz small, 
An' askin' questions 'bout Santa 

Claus, 
An' whether reindeer had feet er 

paws. 
But alius at Christmas, his Mother 

an' me, 
We'd hang up th' stockin's fer Bill t' 

see. 
They looked real friendly, ez stockin's 

do, 
With a dear little stockin' between th' 

two. 



24 



CHBISTMAS — AND BILL 

But th' years run on, an' th' days 
went by, 

Ez they alius will. 
An' Bill he growed up big an' strong, 
With a heart ez clean ez a blue-bird's 

song. 
We had our sorrows, ez parents will, 
But never a heartache cause uv Bill. 
An' still each year, fer gifts unseen, 
Th' stockin's hung with Bill's be- 
tween. 

Just beginnin' t' kno^ Bill good, 
When th' war broke out, 
An' Bill jined up with th' fightin' 

crew, 
An' sez t' me, "Dad, there's work t' 

do. 
You stay at home, an' work an' pay, 
I'll fight fer th' flag an' th' U. S. A." 
He said he'd be back, when th' chores 

wuz done 
A-makin' "good Germans" of every 

Hun. 

25 



BILL OF THE IT. S. 



It's sad an' lonely, at Christmas time, 

Fer mother an' me. 
Th' load is heavy th' parents bear, 
With ns over here an' him over there, 
But Christmas Eve, when th' fire is 

dim, 
He'll think nv ns an' we'll think uv 

him, 
An' God, some day, when th' war is 

done, 
Will send ns back our fightin' son. 



26 



A LETTER TO BILL 

A LETTER TO BILL 

"It's lonely, son, since yon went 

away, 

Across th' sea, 
Th' birds don't sing ez they used t' 

do, 
When we went fishin' — just me an' 

you. 
It's hard t' bear — you're all I've got, 
An' when I gave you I gave a lot. 
But stick t' your job, an' be a man, 
If you can't lick 'em, your Daddy can. 

"It's goin' t' be tough fer me an' you 

'Fore th' war is done. 
You're goin' t' be hungry an' tired 

an' sore. 
Th' guns '11 be few an' oughta be 

more. 
But don't fergit I'm with you, son, 
A-sweatin' blood till th' war is done. 
I'm kinda old, but I'm still a man, 
If you can't lick 'em, your Daddy can. 

27 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 

"I'm sorta crippled an' not ez young 

Ezlusedt'be. 
But a derned good fight is in me still, 
If you need th' 'Old man,' jest hol- 
ler, Bill. 
We'll send th' guns, an' all th' rest, 
You stay on th' job, an' do your best. 
Don't grumble er cuss — jest be a man. 
If you can't lick 'em, your Daddy can. 

"We've alius been pardners, since 

you wuz small, 

Jest me an' you. 
Seemed like a knife stuck in my heart 
When you jined th' army, t' do your 

part; 
I'll work over here — you fight over 

there, 
An' father an' son are a pretty good 

pair. 
An' alius remember, you've got an 

'Old Man,' 
If you can't lick 'em, your Daddy 



can." 



28 



BILL'S UNCLE 



BILL'S UNCLE 

Bill sent a letter th' other day 
From over in France. 
An' started it off: "Dear Uncle Sam, 
Yon told me t' go an' here I am. 
Been learnin' a lot 'bont how t' fight, 
An' pluggin' away with all my might. 
I'm kinda tired nv settin' still; 
I'm ready t' fight — let's go," sez Bill. 

"You snre been a good Uncle t' me 

Since I wuz small. 
There's never been much you asked 

me t' do. 
You're needin' me bad an' I'll see you 

through. 
An' Tommie an' Jean an' Pat an' 

Jock, 
Are holdin' th' Huns like a granite 

rock. 
They're cousins uv mine an' had their 

fill, 
I'm ready t' help — let's go," sez Bill. 

29 



BILL OF THE XL S. A. 

"TV war will be won by th' man at 

home, 

An' we know it well. 
Let politics go an' th' personal 

grudge, 
Pick th' best men — th' people can 

judge. 
Give 'em th' jobs that yon know are 

hard ; 
Th' little man's due fer th' big discard. 
There's a terrible lot uv red tape still, 
Cut it all loose — let's go," sez Bill. 

"It's a good big job we've got on 

hand, 

Jest me an' you. 
Let's stick together — we're boun' V 

win. 
You back me up an' I'll never give in. 
I'm leavin' th' folks at home t' you; 
Look after them till th' war is 

through. 
I love you, Uncle, an' alius will. 
I'll do MY part. Your nephew, Bill." 

30 



A PRAYER FOR BILL 



A PRAYER FOR BILL 

I ain't been much on praying God, 

Er goin' t' church, 
I've tried t' do what I thought wuz 

right, 
A-helpin' my friends an' treatin' 'em 

white. 
I'm kinda sharp on a business deal, 
I haven't lied an' I wouldn't steal. 
An' so I'm askin' you, God, to-night: 
Watch over Bill when we start t' fight. 

I know you've a lot uv work t' do 

Way over there. 
A-watchin' th' Hun at his hellish play, 
An' countin' th' souls ez they fly away. 
Bill's only a boy, but he had t' go, 
With Mother an' me a-lovin' him so. 
An' so we pray, dear God, to-night: 
Watch over Bill when we start t' fight. 



31 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



We're lonely, God, an' want our boy, 

Across th' sea. 
All we can do is wait an' pray; 
It's hard t' bear with him away, 
Oh ! keep him clean an ' brave an ' true ; 
He's fightin' fer Mother an' me an' 

You. 
So hear me, God, ez I pray to-night: 
Watch over Bill when we start t' fight. 

We know it will end somehow, some 

day, 

Ez all things do. 
Th' dead will sleep in th' Madman's 

track, 
An' only th' strong come marchin' 

back. 
We'll count it lost if th' fight is won, 
Th' price uv success — our only son. 
An' so I pray, dear God, to-night: 
Watch over Bill when we start t' fight. 



32 






ALL TOGETHER 



ALL TOGETHER 

Over in France, in th' dirt an' nmd, 

There 's a boy uv ours ; 
He said he'd fight till th' war wuz 

through, 
An' leave th' rest t' me an' you. 
We promised t' help in every way; 
If we couldn't fight we said we'd pay. 
It's up t' us, we can if we will ; 
Let's stop our fussin' an' pull fer Bill. 

"What does it matter, when all is done, 

T' you an' me, 
T' keep our money, but lose th' fight, 
An' bend our necks t' th' German's 

might ? 
Let's learn t' save an' go without; 
Our money is talkin' — let's make it 

shout. 
It's up t' us, we can if we will ; 
Let's pull together an' pull fer Bill. 



33 

3— BUI of the V. S. A. 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



It's easy t' stand a wheatless day, 
If it's helpin' Bill. 

We 'd rather be cold than have it said 
We used th' coal when he needed 

bread. 
It isn't much, an' it's rather small 
T ' give so little when he gives all. 
It's up t' us, we can if we will ; 
Let's stand together an' stand by Bill. 

How would you like t ' take his place 

Out on th' front? 
How would you like t' be young an' 

strong, 
A-doin' your part t' right th' wrong? 
Your part's at home — it's hard, I 

know, 
T' stand aside, when th' others go. 
It's up t ' us, we can if we will ; 
We'll pull together — we're all fer Bill. 



34 



HELPING BILL 

HELPING BILL 

A great big drive is comin' soon, 

So th' fellers say, 
An' Bill an' th' rest will have a chance 
T' show th' reason they went t' 

France. 
Th' job is big an' th' men are few, 
But a huskier crowd you never knew. 
They've never been licked an' never 

will. 
I wish I wuz there a-helpin' Bill! 

Think uv 'em standin' there all alone, 

Them boys uv ours, 
Holdin' their ground when th' Huns 

attack, 
A-stoppin' 'em quick an' drivin' 'em 

back. 
An' now an' then, in th' seethin' hell, 
You'll hear a good old rebel yell, 
Hear it a-risin', loud an' shrill. 
I wish I wuz there a-helpin' Bill! 



35 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



It's a little bit more'n a man can bear, 

A-waitin' fer news. 
I hardly can think uv that boy uv mine 
A-takin' his stand on th' battle-line, 
Blackened with powder an' daubed 

with mud, 
Pale an' haggard an' red with blood, 
He said he would fight an' I know he 

will; 
I wish I wuz there a-helpin' Bill ! 

They say we're too old t' go an' fight, 

Both me an' you. 
We're needed at home t' work an' pay 
An' tend t' business every day. 
I'd give the rest uv this life uv mine 
T' be with my boy on th' battle line, 
A-backin' him up, ez I alius will ; 
A-fightin' an' helpin' along with Bill. 



36 



SEWING FOR BILL 



SEWING FOR BILL 

When th' President said he wanted 

men 

Able t' fight, 
Bill promised t' see th' ole war 

through, 
An' do th' fightin' fer me an' yon. 
We stay at home an' sleep in a bed, 
While Bill lies down with th' dyin' an' 

dead. 
So git ont an' push, till we're "over 

the hill," 
Be one of th' workers — an' sew fer 

Bill. 



37 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



They're cryin' fer all yon can sew er 

knit, 

Out on th' front. 
Th' raw red wounds need rolls uv 

gauze, 
Fer a life is lost by a moment's pause. 
Bill's willin' t' fight — it's th' part uv 

a man — 
You do YOUR part, ez good ez you 

can. 
So git out an' push, till we're "over 

the hill," 
Give up your pleasures — an' sew fer 

BUI. 



38 



SEWING FOR BILL 



Think uvhim wounded an' all alone, 

Way over there. 
Think how he welcomes that glorious 

sight — 
Crosses uv red on th' fields uv white. 
It's little enough he asks us t' do, 
But what there is left is "up t' you." 
So git out an' push, till we're "over 

the hill," 
"Stick t' your knittin'," and sew fer 

Bill 



39 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 

A STAR FOR BILL 

There 's an empty place with an empty 

chair 

In this house uv mine. 
We lost a boy but they gained a man 
Who '11 do his part ez good ez he can. 
We're lonely an' sad, his mother an' 

me — 
They needed men an' it had t' be. 
But while he's gone there's hangin' 

still 
Our Service Flag an' it stands fer Bill. 

It wasn't bought but sewed with care 

By a mother's hands. 
Stitch by stitch an' seam by seam, 
With chokin' sobs an' a prayer be- 
tween. 
Lovin' an' tender th' hands that made 
Th' flag that means that a debt is paid. 
A poor little flag that makes me thrill, 
All red an' white with a star fer Bill. 



40 



A STAR FOR BILL 



Dear is our flag, with it's stars an* 

stripes, 

Ez it waves on high. 
Th* flag that is close t' my heart t'day 
Is th' flag uv th' boy that is far away. 
An' th' little star in th' field uv white 
Tells uv a boy that has gone t' fight. 
Our flag is dear, but dearer still 
That little blue star that stands fer 

Bill. 



41 



OTHER WAR VERSES 



OVER THE TOP 



OVER THE TOP 

A bookkeeper sat on an office stool, 
With ink eraser and pen and rule, 
He added them up, all clear an' neat, 
An' brought 'em down on the balance 

sheet. 
The credits in black an' the debits in 

red, 
But always this song ran through his 

head : 
"I want to go out with the Army, 

And learn to take a chance ; 
I want to be, before I'm done, 
A roarin', fightin' son-of-a-gun. 
I want to "hike" and carry a pack, 
And I don't care if I never come back. 

I want to go over to France ! " 



45 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



A statement of this and an invoice 
made, 

"Discount allowed' ' and "freight pre- 
paid/' 

"Shipment delayed" and "please 
remit," 

All these and more made np his "bit. ' ' 

But over and over, throughout the 
day, 

If you listened close, you'd hear him 
say: 

"I want to go out with the Army, 
And wear those bulgin' pants. 

I want to be, before I'm done, 

A roarin', fightin' son-of-a-gun. 

I want to follow wherever I'm led, 

I want to know if my blood runs red. 
I want to go over to France ! " 



46 



THE "U" BOAT 



THE "U" BOAT 

Deep in the sea, in the mire and ooze, 

Shunning the sight of man, 
It broods alone, like a loathsome beast, 
Licking its jaws from its bloody feast, 
Under humanity's ban. 

Bestial, slimy, and gruesome, 
Foul from its hellish meal, 
Waiting alone for another day 
To gorge itself on its helpless prey, 
Ruthless and cold as steel. 



Ravenous, vile, abhorrent, 

A ghoul by its master's will, 
It slavers and mouths the soft white 

flesh 
Of mother and babe, as they bleed 
afresh, 
With jaws that are never still. 



47 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



FOR FRANCE 

(A French outpost had been subjected to a 
heavy fire all day and the dead and dying lay 
in great heaps together. When the German line 
leaped out of the trenches and attempted to oc- 
cupy the French position, a dying sergeant 
sprang to his feet with the cry, "Arise, ye 
dead!" Animated by a common spirit, the dy- 
ing men made one last effort and hurled the 
Germans back with heavy loss. — War Corre- 
spondent's Report.) 



The fight had been long and bitter, 
And shrapnel and bursting shell 

Had made of the trench a shambles 
More awful than tongue can tell. 

The wounded crowded the dying, 
The dead men lay as they fell ; 

The deep-trod mud was red with blood, 
Like an anteroom loaned by hell. 



48 



FOE FEANCE 



Out of the smoke came the Germans, 
True sons of the Terrible Hun ; 

Counting the battle ended, 
Thinking the fight was won. 

Up sprang a boyish sergeant, 

Eaising his flag on high ; 
"Come, drive them back, my com- 
rades — 

We haven 't the time to die ! " 



49 

-BUI of the V. 8. A. 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



And up from the bloody trenches 
The wounded and dying rose, 

And hurled what was left of their 
bodies, 
Full hard in the face of their foes. 

To France is the fame and the glory, 
Dear God, of that wonderful sight ; 

When men that were almost in heaven, 
Arose from the dead to fight ! 



50 



VENGEANCE 



VENGEANCE 

i( . . . and with what measure ye mete 
withal it shall be measured to you again." — 
Luke 6:38. 

Daily by cot and pallet, the idle sol- 
diers stand, 

Hearing the tales of horror, told by 
the broken band. 

Daily they stand and listen, marking 
the sightless eyes 

Of these who sit in darkness, beneath 
the sun-lit skies. 



Always the cry of vengeance, as beg- 
gars seeking a dole, 

The cry of the broken body calling to 
him that's whole. 

And ever the cry is louder, from out 
the ravished lands, 

Of those that sit in darkness, with idle, 
groping hands. 



51 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



Daily they gather closer, touching 

them now and then, 
The scars that once were faces, the 

bodies that once were men ; 
Deep grows the pity, deeper, searing 

the very soul, 
For those that sit in darkness, and 

nevermore are whole. 

This is the promise given to those that 
fight no more, 

Binding and true the promise, swear- 
ing it o'er and o'er: 

"Full measure and overflowing, we'll 
mete it out again 

To beasts that hide their natures un- 
der the guise of men." 



52 



THEY SHALL NOT PASS 



THEY SHALL NOT PASS 

"To every man upon this earthy 
Death cometh soon or late. 
And how can man die better 
Than facing fearful odds 
For the ashes of his fathers 
And the Temples of his Godsf ' 

Macaulay's Horatius. 



Behind them lies the homeland, 

A-gleaming in the sun, 
In front the blackened landscape, 

Tells of the ruthless Hun. 

Behind them lies the honor 
Of daughters and of wives ; 

In front they rape and ravish, 
Where brave men gave their lives. 



53 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



Behind them lies the passage 
Straight to the heart of France ; 

In front the hordes of vandals 
Fight ever to advance. 

And by their hope in heaven, 
By flower and tree and grass ; 

By earth and sky and water, 

They swear, ' ' They shall not pass ! ' ' 



54 



THEY SHALL NOT PASS 



" And while the earth is fertile, 
And sunshine follows rain, 

As long as sparks fly upward, 
The Boche shall strive in vain." 



And souls that dwell in free-men 
Shall wing their way on high, 

And spread the word in heaven 
That freedom shall not die. 



55 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



THE BABBAKIAN 

Thou impious one that dares to claim 
God's sanction for thy deeds of 

shame ! 
Dost think a God, whose only Son 
Took to his heart each little one, 
Saying, as they gathered around his 

knee, 
"Suffer the children to come unto 

Me"; 
Dost think this God will close his eyes 
To handless arms, nor hear the cries 
Of innocent babes, by thy commands 
Maimed and helpless throughout the 

lands? 
How dost thou dare, whose acts are 

known, 
To name Our Lord upon His Throne, 



56 



THE BARBARIAN 



And call on Him to be thy guide 
With crimes like these on every side? 
Thou foolish one, God is not mocked 
By empty words, in floods unlocked. 
Nor canst thou blind eternal sight 
By deeds of horror done at night. 
When, God requires thy soul of thee, 
And from thy crimes the world is free, 
Then shalt thou know His judgment 

clear, 
And cringe and moan in craven fear. 
Then shalt thou know, thou senseless 

clod, 
How strong the justice of our God ! 



57 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



THE COMFOKTER 

In No Man's Land, where the dead 

men lie, 
Where the shrapnel bursts and the 

bullets fly, 
A boy lay shattered and all alone, 
Gritting his teeth to choke a groan. 

Friends he had but he had to die, 
Broken and bleeding and wondering 

why 
No comrade came to grip his hand 
And wish him luck in the other land. 



He never had planned to die like this, 
Out in the grass where the bullets hiss, 
Unt ended, helpless and foul with mud, 
Watching the flow of his living blood. 



58 



THE COMFORTER 



His eyes grew dim and he tried to 

pray, 
And the God of His Fathers, far away, 
Gazed in pity and sent a friend 
To guard him close to the bitter end. 



Out in the grass a face looking up, 
The shaggy face of an Airedale pup. 
Homely he was, but his deep brown 

eyes 
Lighted with love and a glad surprise. 

One could crawl and the other smile; 
Both were dying, but after a while 
A dog and a boy lay side by side, 
Happy together — and so they died. 



59 



BILL OF THE U. S. 



WE'LL NEVER GIVE IN 

Marching Song 

We 've packed our ' ' kits ' ' and crossed 

the sea, 
Where life is cheap and bullets are 

free. 
We've plenty of guns and enough to 

eat; 
We're husky and strong and hard to 

beat. 

Tell them back home, 

We '11 never give in ; 

Let them all know, 

We '11 never give in ; 

We 're in the fight and we 're in to win ; 

So carry this message, "We'll never 

give in!" 



60 



WE'LL NEVER GIVE IN 



We 're up to our necks in dirt and mud, 
Splashing around in rivers of blood ; 
We Ve fought all night — we '11 fight all 

day, 
And the Germans know there's hell to 

pay. 

Tell them back home, 

We '11 never give in ; 

Let them all know, 

We '11 never give in ; 

We 're in the fight and we 're in to win ; 

So carry this message, "We'll never 

give in!" 



61 



BILL OF THE U. S. A. 



The hunting is good, there's many a 

Hun, 
We shoot them sitting or on the run ; 
They always scatter and run away 
From the guns and boys of the U. S. A. 

Tell them back home, 

We '11 never give in ; 

Let them all know, 

We '11 never give in ; 

We 're in the fight and we 're in to win ; 

So carry this message, "We'll never 

give in!" 



62 



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